4.22 Language and Communication

Native language / mother tongue — the first language someone learns.
Example: “English is my native language.”
Second language / foreign language — any language learned after the first.
Example: “Many students study a foreign language at school.”
Language barrier — difficulty communicating because of different languages.
Example: “The language barrier made it hard to understand each other.”
Non-verbal communication — conveying messages without words (e.g., body language).
Example: “Non-verbal communication plays a big role in expressing emotions.”
Effective communication — clearly conveying and understanding messages.
Example: “Effective communication is essential in the workplace.”
Verbal skills — ability to use spoken language well.
Example: “Good verbal skills help in presentations.”
Written communication — expressing ideas in writing.
Example: “Written communication is important for official documents.”
Language acquisition — the process of learning a language.
Example: “Children acquire language naturally.”

Break the ice — to initiate conversation in a social setting.
Example: “She told a joke to break the ice.”
Get the message — understand what someone means.
Example: “He didn’t get the message and kept interrupting.”
Hit the nail on the head — say exactly the right thing.
Example: “You hit the nail on the head with your comment.”
Put into words — express something verbally or in writing.
Example: “It’s hard to put into words how I feel.”
Talk the talk — speak confidently about a subject.
Example: “He can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?”
Walk the walk — act according to what one says.
Example: “She really walks the walk when it comes to teamwork.”

Speak up — talk louder or express an opinion.
Example: “Please speak up; I can’t hear you.”
Look up — search for information, especially in a dictionary.
Example: “I looked up the word in the dictionary.”
Talk over — discuss something thoroughly.
Example: “We need to talk over the project details.”
Get across — successfully communicate an idea.
Example: “He struggled to get his point across.”
Put forward — suggest or propose an idea.
Example: “She put forward an interesting proposal.”

Term	Meaning	Example Sentence
Bilingual	Able to speak two languages fluently.	“Many people in Canada are bilingual.”
Fluency	The ability to speak or write smoothly.	“Fluency improves with practice.”
Dialect	A regional variety of a language.	“The Scottish dialect sounds very different.”
Accent	The way someone pronounces words.	“She speaks English with a French accent.”
Syntax	The arrangement of words in sentences.	“Good syntax is important for clarity.”
Semantics	The meaning of words and sentences.	“Semantics studies how meaning is conveyed.”
Pragmatics	How context influences language meaning.	“Pragmatics helps understand indirect speech.”

Word	Type	Meaning	Example Sentence
Articulate	Adj.	Able to express ideas clearly	“She is very articulate in debates.”
Coherent	Adj.	Logical and consistent	“His speech was clear and coherent.”
Concise	Adj.	Brief and to the point	“Please be concise in your answers.”
Eloquently	Adv.	In a fluent and persuasive way	“He spoke eloquently about the issue.”
Persuasive	Adj.	Convincing	“She gave a persuasive argument.”
Verbose	Adj.	Using more words than needed	“The report was too verbose.”
Effectively	Adv.	Successfully	“She communicated her ideas effectively.”